Fibre channel, a new interconnect technology for high-performance computer peripherals and networks, has a number of advantages over similar technologies. Fibre channel enables channel data transfer speeds about two and half times faster than high-end small computer system interface (SCSI) and carries network and channel traffic over the same lines with equal efficiency. Fibre channel can also carry audio and video data, supports a range of transmission media and distances, is very reliable, scalable, and easy to integrate into existing systems.
Fibre channel is a communications protocol that enables transmission of data at speeds from approximately 1.0625 Gbps up through 8.5 Gbps. Historically, Fibre channel has operated over optical fibre cables, coaxial or twin-axial copper cabling, or as a chip-to-chip interface within a board. In conventional fibre channel systems, electrical media was used to communicate fibre channel signals. High speed fiber optic systems may be used in various communication applications, for instance in telecommunication over long transmission distances. A telecommunication network may be classified into various levels such as subscriber networks, regional networks and national networks. The national networks, for example, may exist between different cities where there is a greater demand for higher transmission speeds, for example, above 5 Gbits/sec. In national networks, for example, dispersion may limit the transmission speeds between transmitters and receivers. Optical dispersion is a fundamental problem for high-speed gigabit networks and is of particular importance as bit rates exceed 2.4 Gbits/sec, for example.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.